Celebrity Colin Farrell Teases the Full Bodysuit He Wore to Play Oz Cobb Even Included 'a Penguin Penis' (Exclusive) "I was basically covered wrist to ankle," the actor tells PEOPLE of his transformation in 'The Penguin.' "The only things that were me were my hands and feet." By Julie Jordan Julie Jordan Julie Jordan is an Editor at Large for PEOPLE. She has been with the brand for 25 years, writing cover stories and features and managing special issues including the Beautiful Issue and Sexiest Man Alive. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 19, 2024 12:52PM EDT Colin Farrell is utterly unrecognizable in his role of Oz Cobb in the new HBO limited series The Penguin. "I had a bodysuit, so I was basically covered wrist to ankle. Only things that were me were my hands and feet," the actor, 48, tells PEOPLE. "Everything else, including ears, were pieces. Everything was covered." Colin Farrell in 'The Penguin'. Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Farrell's transformation, created by artist Mike Marino, who previously worked with the actor on The Batman in 2022, meant spending about three hours every morning during production in the makeup chair. "If it wasn't for Mike's design, I'm telling you now, if it was just me with a f---ing cigarette and a top hat and a bit of a limp and an umbrella that was a machine gun, we wouldn't have had the HBO show." Despite the time and effort it took to create the look, Farrell insists he "was never bored. I mean, by the time we'd get to two hours and 45 minutes, I'd be a little bit..." he allows. "Because they had to spray paint like seven different pieces, ball cap, wig on top of ball cap, and then they'd get into spraying every little pockmark, every little zit, every little crease, every little scar." Colin Farrell and His Youngest Son Henry Hit the Red Carpet at The Penguin Premiere Colin Farrell and son Henry at 'The Penguin' premiere. RCF / SplashNews One scene in particular called for his character to appear to be naked. "Marino is so twisted and brilliant. He was like, 'I made you a penguin penis,'" Farrell recalls with a grin. "I said, 'Really? They're not even going to see it. I don't know if I want to walk on set with a penguin penis.' And he was like, 'No, no, no, dude. It's detachable, it's Velcro. It's got a beak at the end of it.' So I had a penguin penis." In fact, the biggest piece of the bodysuit was actually around Farrell's shoulders and back. "That was kind of the anchor and it came up to the chin," he explains. "And then the bodysuit would go under it. They were nice enough to give me a hump as well." Colin Farrell in 'The Penguin'. Macall Polay/Max When the actor first saw himself in the mirror, "I couldn't believe it, yeah. I'd never done anything like it," he says. "You're moving your face and seeing what happens. I knew expressions manifested a particular way through the mask and how beautifully it was designed, so I just went for it." The limited 8-episode series was ordered in March 2022, almost immediately after the Robert Pattinson-led take on the superhero was released in theaters. Colin Farrell Compares His Transformation in The Penguin to a 'Beautiful Puppet': 'I Got to Animate It' Colin Farrell in 'The Penguin'. Courtesy of Max Although Pattinson’s Batman will not be in the show, the series stars Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Clancy Brown and Michael Zegen. It picks up right after the events of The Batman, and shows how Oz tries to take a leadership role in the Gotham City underworld. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Penguin premieres on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 9 p.m. on HBO and Max.